


August

by Frumious-Bandersnatch (NeverAndAlways), NeverAndAlways



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Childbirth, Gen, Ghost Hunters, M/M, Mpreg, Pregnancy, Screenplay/Script Format, Trans Male Character, Trans Ryan Bergara
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-09 04:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 5,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20502134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverAndAlways/pseuds/Frumious-Bandersnatch, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverAndAlways/pseuds/NeverAndAlways
Summary: Shane documents Ryan's pregnancy, beginning to end.





	1. January 19th -- 8 weeks

**Author's Note:**

> Written with the help of my dear friend dabihawkss, and my awesome boyfriend idutr <3

_On-location in a haunted house; Ryan’s POV_

_Ryan is holding the spirit box, rigged to an audio recorder._

Ryan: …Alright, let’s go. I’m Ryan, that’s Shane. If there’s anything you wanna say to us, now’s the time.

_A few seconds of static go by, then Ryan presses a button on his recorder. The audio that comes out is a little garbled._

Shane: Woah, hey, we got a chatterbox already. What was that?

_Ryan presses the button again, and it’s clearer this time._

Spirit box: _\--‘m pregnant –_

Shane: …sounded like ‘pregnant’.

_Ryan lets a few more seconds pass, then presses the button again; he’s starting to grin._

Spirit box: _I’m pregnant_

Shane: Okay, that’s -- _he catches sight of Ryan, and hesitates. _\-- wait. Are you trying to tell me something?

_The silence is a little tense now; Shane turns his own camera off and puts it down._

Shane: No, for real, are you --?

_Ryan angles the spirit box toward Shane; it was off the entire time. He’s still grinning._

Ryan: Eight weeks.

_Shane looks shaken. Tries to speak, but no words come out, so he steps forward and wraps Ryan up in a hug. Ryan laughs._

Ryan: So that’s what it takes to make the great Shane Madej speechless, huh?

Shane: I – yeah? You’re actually pregnant?

Ryan: I’m actually pregnant.

Shane: I guess the being too dizzy to get out of bed wasn’t just an ear infection, then? No wonder you wouldn’t let me drag you to the doctor, you already knew –

Ryan: I’ve known for two weeks, but honestly, between that and the puking, I thought you’d have figured it out.

Shane: No dude, I thought you had the flu! And you were just being stubborn and wouldn’t let me take you because you didn’t want the strep test stuck down your throat.

Ryan: Would _you _want the strep test stuck down your throat? That shit’s horrible whether you’re sick or not.

_Ryan glances down at the camera still strapped to his chest._

Ryan: …Fuck, the camera’s still going – the editors are gonna hate us…

_Shane leans forward and cups Ryan’s face in his hands; he kisses all over Ryan’s cheeks and lips and then bumps their foreheads together._

Shane: We can just put it in the announcement video.

_Ryan laughs, and the video ends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	2. February 9th -- 11 weeks

_In a doctor’s office; Shane’s POV_

_The video starts with a shot of Ryan; he’s lying on an exam table, shirt pushed up past his stomach. He’s got a slight belly now, just enough to be noticeable. The nurse has an ultrasound probe pressed to his belly. Ryan notices the camera on him and grins._

_The camera turns away to a screen by the bed; on it is the ultrasound image, grainy but recognizable. The camera zooms in on it and holds for a few seconds, then the video ends._

* * *

_The next Unsolved video features an ultrasound photo, pinned up on the bulletin board behind the table. It's halfway behind an old newspaper article, and they never mention it. But there it stays._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	3. March 1st -- 14 weeks

_On-location, packing up their things at the car; Shane’s POV_

_Shane strolls up behind Ryan, who’s putting away some recording equipment._

Shane: Heyyy, guess who’s officially in the second trimester!

_Ryan looks over his shoulder and smirks; Shane cheers quietly, coaxing a laugh out of him._

Shane: Kiddo’s the size of…what was it, a peach? Some kind of fruit analogy.

Ryan: And more importantly, I’m not puking every afternoon like fucking clockwork. And I actually look pregnant, so now everyone in the office is asking me how I’m feeling.

Shane: I didn’t know Curly counted as everyone.

Ryan: Shut up, you know what I mean.

_Ryan turns around to pick up their tripod, and Shane takes a step back._

Shane: And you’ve got a belly now, too. It’s cute.

_Ryan scoffs._

Ryan: Are you gonna help me pack up, or are you just gonna stand around filming me?

Shane: I was just gonna film you, I didn’t think you’d mind –

_Ryan scoffs again and playfully tries to block the camera with his hand. Shane laughs behind the camera, then Ryan laughs as well; there’s a muffled “oh shit”, the camera falls and hits the ground, and the video ends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	4. March 22nd -- 17 weeks

_In the Buzzfeed Unsolved studio, at the end of an episode._

Ryan: ...and there are many, many more theories, but we're almost out of time, so for now, the case will remain..._unsolved._

Shane: 'Many more theories'? How can there be more theories? It's -- the Chupacabra's just a coyote with mange, it's been proven!

Ryan: No it hasn't.

Shane: Yes it has.

Ryan: No it hasn't, not definitively.

Shane: Yes it has -- whatever. _Anyway._

_Shane slaps his hands down on the table._

Shane: We have an announcement. _He pats the table in time with his words._

Ryan: Right. Like it says in the title, we're introducing our new intern today --

Shane: We've only ever had one intern on the Buzzfeed team before, to my knowledge.

Ryan: Yeah, Taylor, just before you started working here.

Shane: Right. And we're gonna be going on hiatus for a bit this summer, so having someone else here will really help. But, uh, we haven't even met them yet, so without further ado, let's bring 'em in and introduce 'em -- Ryan, would you care to do the honors?

_ Ryan grins. _

Ryan: I would indeed.

_ While Shane watches, Ryan slowly and deliberately pushes his chair out and stands up. Then, with a glance at Shane, he turns to the side, revealing a baby bump. It isn't huge, maybe the size of a cantaloupe, but it's definitely there. Shane does jazz hands at him. _

Ryan: ...Surprise.

Shane: They're not officially employed until August. Hence the hiatus.

Ryan: August 23rd, to be exact. And before you ask, no, we don't know what it is yet. Shane thinks it's gonna be a boy.

Shane: And I reserve the right to say I told you so.

Ryan: Whatever. We've, uh...we've still got 23 weeks left either way, so until then --

Shane: No. Don't you dare --

Ryan: The mystery will remain..._ unsolved. _

_ Ryan waggles his eyebrows at the camera. _

Shane: I hate you.

_ Ryan bursts out laughing. The screen fades quickly to black, and the video ends. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	5. April 12th -- 20 weeks

_In a hotel bed; Shane’s POV_

_It’s a night-vision camera, focused on Shane’s face; he looks half-asleep, with bags under his eyes and a mean case of bed hair. His voice is rusty._

Shane, whispering: Hey, so it’s three in the morning, and I just woke up to something jabbing me in the back. I turned over – hang on --

_The camera turns away from Shane and a few seconds of rustling follow, then Ryan’s face comes into view. He’s fast asleep, his face buried in the pillows._

Shane: -- I turned over, and come to find out…it was the kid. He’s kicking. Like, strong enough that I can actually feel it. Here, look…

_Shane sits up on his elbow and lays his free hand on Ryan’s belly, just above his navel._

Shane: I don’t know if the camera’s picking this up, probably not, but it’s crazy. It’s like…like when you get a fish at a pet store and they put it in the little bag with water and you can kinda feel it swimming. Like – oh, there it is again. Hey buddy, whatcha doin’ in there? Practicing your dance moves?

_Shane seems to forget about the camera for a minute and instead moves his hand slowly around Ryan’s belly, following the baby’s movements. Then Ryan stirs a little and startles him._

Shane: Okay, I gotta put this away before I wake him up, but I wanted to record that for posterity – anyway, goodnight.

_A few more seconds of rustling, and the video ends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	6. May 3rd -- 23 weeks

_On-location in an old, run-down building; Shane's POV. He's walking behind Ryan down a long hallway. Ryan's clearly a little unsteady on his feet, but shuffling along with determination._

Shane: Ryan, hey.

Ryan: Yeah, one sec, Looks like the antechamber's just down this way...

_Ryan speeds up and turns a corner, disappearing out of frame. Shane sighs and trots to catch up, jostling the camera._

_Ryan's facing toward Shane when he gets there. He's holding a GPS; he turns this way and that, trying to pinpoint something, and Shane's breath hitches slightly when he stumbles._

Shane: Ryan --

Ryan: Hang _on._

_Ryan shuffles to the other end of the hallway, waving the GPS in circles to re-calibrate it. Shane stays where he is and watches._

Shane: Ryannnnn.

Ryan Bergara.

Ryan Steven Bergara.

_Ryan continues to ignore him._

Shane: Babe.

Boogara.

Ryannn.

Love of my life.

Parent of my child.

I'm gonna start coming up with nicknames if you don't answer --

_Abruptly, Ryan turns on his heel to face Shane._

Ryan: Alright, _w__hat?_

_Shane sighs again._

Shane: You almost fell an hour ago. You're still wobbly, I can see it from here.

Ryan: Okay. And what about it?

Shane: You're a fall risk, babe. You're making me nervous. The ghosts can wait, would you just...sit down for a few minutes?

Ryan: I'm fine, I just wanna -- are you doing another video?

Shane: Yeah. I figured since we haven't found anything...

_Ryan walks back toward Shane. He's starting to look annoyed._

Ryan: Put it away, dude. We're on a time limit as it is --

_He covers the camera with his hand, and the video cuts out._

* * *

_Later, in the same building. Shane's POV. Shane and Ryan are hurrying along through the main room, at the center of which is a large, ornate, and rickety staircase. Ryan is holding an EMF meter; it starts to trill as they pass the stairs. He retraces his steps and pauses at the landing to shine his flashlight up the staircase._

Shane: ...I guess we go that way.

Ryan: I guess so.

_Ryan puts his foot on the bottom stair and tests his weight; it creaks, but seems stable. He looks at Shane and starts to climb. Shane follows a couple steps behind. It's slow going, between Ryan's belly tipping him backwards and both of them trying to keep a grip on their equipment._

_Halfway up, the stairs are less stable. They creak and a few of them give alarmingly when stepped on. Then, suddenly, there's a splintering **crunch **as Ryan's foot sinks entirely through a step. He yelps, overbalances, and begins to fall backward. The camera blurs as Shane lurches forward toward him, then a very very close-up shot of Ryan's shirt. For a couple seconds, there's only the sound of his and Shane's breathing._

Ryan: ...You caught that on camera, didn't you.

Shane: Yes I fucking did. God, Ry...your foot went through the _stairs, _are you okay?

Ryan: Yeah, I'm alright. Probably just some splinters.

Shane: Alright, c'mon...

_They make their way back down the stairs, slower than they went up. When they reach the bottom, Shane turns away from Ryan to put away the EMF meter and some other equipment. Ryan sighs behind him; he turns back. Ryan is leaning on the banister with one hand on his belly._

Shane: You good?

Ryan: Yeah. Baby's going _nuts, _though. Sorry, kid...

_Shane ambles over to Ryan and splays a hand across his belly. There's a faint movement under the skin, and Shane makes a quiet 'tsk' sound._

Shane: You're okay, little dude. Chill out. Dad's sorry.

Ryan: ...Let's go out to the car. I wanna sit down for a while. At least until he's calmed down.

Shane: Oh, _now _you listen to me? After you almost fell down the fucking stairs?

Ryan: Shut up, Shane. Let's just go.

_Ryan pushes off from the banister and walks away out of frame. Shane's hand covers the camera a moment later, and the video ends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	7. May 24th -- 26 weeks

_Shane's POV. They're sitting up in bed; Ryan is slouched a bit, looking defiant._

Shane: Say it again.

Ryan: No! Why?

Shane, laughing: Because, I wanna have it on record that you want to give our child this name. Just say the name.

Ryan: No.

Shane: Please?

Ryan: ...It's Angus.

_Shane snorts. Ryan looks indignant._

Ryan: What?? It's an old English name.

Shane: It's a kind of _cow, _babe.

_Ryan:_ It's Gaelic! It comes from the ancient Celtic 'Oenghus', meaning "one strength" --

_Shane turns the camera on himself and shakes his head. His expression is one of amusement, fondness, and utter exasperation. Ryan is still explaining the merits of the name, but now he's laughing too._

Shane: Okay okay, here's an idea. The perfect name, in fact..._Yeti Mastermind._

_There's a few seconds' pause. Shane turns the camera on Ryan, who's trying very hard to keep a straight face._

Ryan: I hate you.

Shane: No, hear me out! Hear me out. It can be hyphenated, right, like that's his entire first name, or it can be a first name, middle name kind of thing. We usually just call him Yeti, so when he hears Yeti Mastermind, he knows he's in trouble. It's foolproof.

Ryan: I'm breaking up with you. I want a divorce.

_Shane laughs again. The next several seconds are unintelligible, as though Shane's forgotten about the camera. Then it focuses in on Ryan again. He leans over toward Shane._

Ryan: Okay, seriously, what else is on the list?

Shane: Uh, let's see...there's Finlay...

Ryan: Ugh.

Shane: Owen...Aiden...Austin...

_Ryan thinks for a moment, then shrugs and sits back._

Ryan: I dunno...

_He cups his hands under his belly and looks down at it._

Ryan: ...We could let him decide?

Shane: How do you mean?

Ryan: Tell him the names, see which ones he reacts to.

_Shane makes a quiet noise of agreement. He puts the camera down so it's facing the ceiling, and there are a few seconds of jostling. Then he picks it up again and points it at Ryan's belly._

Shane: Alright, little man, let's see what you think of these...

_He reads off the list, pausing after each name to gauge the baby's reaction. None of them garner much of a response, until he gets to the end of the list. 'Ian' earns him a solid kick, and an elbow jabs outward at the sound of 'Theo'._

Shane: ...How 'bout Henry?

_A knee pokes out, then a foot. Ryan lets out an 'oh' of surprise._

Ryan: I think he liked that one.

Shane: He's got good taste. What do you think, bud? Should we call you Henry?

_There's a rolling motion under the skin, and when Shane speaks again, there's a smile in his voice._

Shane: Well, I guess that settles it. He's a Henry.

Ryan: I guess so. Henry Bergara.

Shane: Not Henry Madej?

Ryan: Don't spoil the moment, dude.

_Shane laughs, and the video ends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	8. June 14th -- 29 weeks

_Shane’s POV; in their car, parked outside the house. The dome light is on, providing just enough light to see by. Ryan is asleep in the passenger’s seat with his head lolled to one side. The camera zooms in on his belly. A few seconds pass; then his belly moves. A little knee or elbow juts out, followed by a rolling motion under the skin. A few more seconds, and it happens again. There’s a quiet, bemused “what the fuck” from Shane._

_The video ends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	9. July 5th -- 32 weeks

_In an upstairs room of the Winchester house; Ryan's POV. He enters the room after Shane and immediately sits down in the nearest chair, breathing hard. Shane puts the bag of ghost-hunting equipment on the floor and turns to look at him._

Shane: You good?

Ryan: Fine. Catching my breath.

_Ryan looks down. He's filming with a head mount, so the camera pans down with him. His belly is noticeably bigger than it was in even the previous video. There's an EMF meter in his hand; he turns it on, and it starts to trill almost immediately._

Ryan: Oh, hey --

_He starts to stand up from the chair, headed for the equipment bag, but Shane stops him. He sags back into the chair._

Shane: I got it, I got it.

_Ryan sighs and watches Shane dig through the equipment bag. He looks down at his belly and runs a hand over it._

Ryan, softly: What do you think, Henry? Wanna talk to some ghosts?

_Shane swears in the background. Ryan looks up; Shane is fussing with a piece of equipment._

Shane: I swear these things hate me, Ryan, how the hell do I --

_It turns on with a loud burst of static and feedback. Shane swears again._

Ryan: Need help?

Shane, reluctantly: ...Yeah.

_Shane wanders over to Ryan, who bursts out laughing when he sees what's in Shane's hand. Shane looks indignant._

Shane: What?

Ryan: Babe, that's not -- that's the doppler, of course it's not working...!

Shane: What are you talking about, you told me you got a new spirit box --

Ryan: Yeah, and this isn't it. Here, give it to me --

_Ryan grabs it out of Shane's hands and presses the wand end to his belly. After a few seconds of moving it around, the baby's heartbeat bursts from the speaker. Shane laughs a little, looking embarrassed._

Ryan: I thought _I _was supposed to be the one with pregnancy brain?

Shane: Shut up, I was tryna be helpful..! I guess we're cutting this one short, though. Unless we have an extra spirit box I don't know about.

Ryan: No, I didn't think we'd need one...

_Ryan pulls himself up from the chair with the help of a nearby table. Shane opens his mouth to speak, but before he can, a movement across the room catches their attention. Just as they turn to look, a picture frame wobbles on its hook and falls to the floor with a **crack. **There's a moment's pause. Shane looks back at Ryan, eyebrows raised in surprise. He starts to speak again, and the video cuts out._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	10. July 26th -- 35 weeks

**1:00 am**

_On location in an old, abandoned hotel; Shane’s POV_

_Shane and Ryan are in the ballroom of the hotel; the video was clipped from the actual episode, and it starts abruptly with Shane hurrying across the room to Ryan, who’s leaning hard on an old planter pot with one hand on his belly._

Shane: Alright, everything’s packed up, let’s go.

_Shane walks Ryan out of the ballroom, slowly down the hotel stairs, and out the front door. He’s clearly forgotten about his camera; several times, he bumps into it with one of the bags slung over his arms. Only when Ryan is settled in the car and he climbs into the driver’s seat does he seem to remember it. He swears, there are a few seconds of rustling, and the video cuts out._

* * *

**3:00 am**

_Shane’s POV again; he and Ryan are back in their hotel room. Shane is sitting on the bed. The lights in the room are off, save for a lamp in the corner. Ryan is slowly pacing. He shuffles into frame and is clearly in his own world. His belly is lower now, and less round, making his gait a little awkward. He shuffles back out of frame._

Shane, quietly: So, uh…we might be having the baby today. Ryan started having contractions while we were filming. They’re a little irregular, so we’re just waiting to see what happens…

_Ryan comes back into frame. This time he makes a detour to the dresser and leans on it. The tension in his body is clear even from across the room. Twenty seconds pass in relative silence, then he steps back from the dresser and stretches._

Shane: Ry? How you doin’?

Ryan: Twelve minutes again. They’re slowing down a little.

_Ryan turns around and starts walking toward the bed._

Shane: Do we need to head to the hospital?

Ryan: No, I think I’m okay…are you fucking filming?

Shane: Yeah, sorry, I’ll –

Ryan: Turn it off, dude, seriously –

_Ryan leans over the bed and reaches for the camera. His hand covers the lens, and the video cuts out a moment later._

* * *

**5:00 am**

_Shane’s POV, with a night vision camera_

_Ryan’s fast asleep, lying in bed on top of the blankets with a pile of pillows at his back. The curtains are drawn, but there’s faint light coming through. Shane stands a couple steps from the bed, and speaks in a whisper._

Shane: No dice. Contractions stopped an hour ago…Ryan only got to sleep maybe twenty minutes ago. He’s pretty disappointed…so am I, honestly. We’re, uh…we’re gonna fly home this afternoon, but until then, I’m gonna get some sleep, so…signing off.

_ _The video ends.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	11. August 16th -- 38 weeks

_At Shane and Ryan’s house; Ryan’s POV_

_Ryan is wearing pajama shorts and no shirt, with a towel draped behind his neck. His hair is still wet from a shower. He’s standing in front of the full-length bedroom mirror, holding his camera with one hand and his belly with the other. He turns slightly this way and that, looking at his belly; it sits low and heavy in his hips now, and looks smaller than it did in the last couple of videos._

Ryan: I’m officially thirty-eight weeks today…this might be the last video for a while. Me and Shane are gonna be on location in a couple days, filming one last episode before we go on parental leave. I’m due on the 23rd, officially, but Shane doesn’t think I’m gonna make it that far. But, uh…we’ll see, I guess.

_Shane’s voice is heard in the background. It’s unintelligible, but it gets Ryan’s attention; he calls back “just a sec”, and shoots the camera a smile and an almost conspiratorial look before the video ends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	12. August 19th

_The clip starts with just audio; Shane and Ryan's muffled voices._

Shane: ...last one. Real quick, I promise.

Ryan: Sure. Fine. Do whatever you want.

Shane: You sure? I won't if you don't want me to --

Ryan: _Shane._

Shane: Alright, alright --

_The camera is uncovered. They're in the car; Ryan's in the passenger seat, leaned slightly back, with his knees as far apart as they can get in the cramped space. His face is flushed, and he looks uncomfortable. He gives the camera a half-hearted wave._

Shane: Heyy, guess who's actually, for real this time, having a baby today?

_Ryan cheers just as half-heartedly._

Shane: A whole five days before your due date, no less. Little dude got impatient.

Ryan: Yeah, impatient enough that I started having contractions while we were working. Not even filming, just scoping out the location for our next episode. Water broke in the middle of a fucking abandoned house.

Shane: So now we're on our way to the birth center, and...we'll see. This is probably gonna be our last video, so, uh...

_There are a few seconds' awkward silence. Shane turns the camera back to Ryan; he's got his back braced on the back of the chair, so tense that his hips are lifted a couple inches off the seat. He waves frantically at Shane._

Ryan: Contraction -- turn the fucking camera off --

_The video goes blurry for a few seconds, then cuts out._

* * *

_Ryan's POV; he's in their room at the birth center, sitting on an exercise ball. The ceiling fan is on low, and it's the only movement in the room aside from Ryan himself. Shane is curled up dozing in an armchair nearby. Ryan switches to the front camera. He looks tired, like he's just come from a workout, and his voice is quiet._

Ryan: So, uh...here we are at the birth center. It's about eight p.m.; we've been here for almost seven hours now. I'm...six centimeters, I think? And I've been having contractions since mid-morning...Henry's taking his time. Pretty common, apparently, for first kids.

_Ryan sighs and shifts around, wincing a little as he does so._

Ryan: It's funny, you always hear about how much labor hurts, but no one talks about how fucking _boring _it is. We've been here seven hours already, and we've probably still got another eight at least.

_His face draws tight for a moment._

Ryan: ....Fuck, I'm gonna have a contraction. Of course, right as I start the video --

_He casts around looking for a place to put his phone. The contraction hits him in the meantime, and he hunches forward with his hands on his knees. He groans from deep in his chest, and Shane appears a few seconds later. Shane takes the phone; he doesn't seem to notice that it's recording, and tosses it onto the bed. The video cuts out._

* * *

_The video starts out blurry, as though the camera's being fumbled. When it steadies, it's Shane's POV, and the atmosphere is completely different from the previous video. Ryan is on the floor by the bed, half-reclining with his legs tented, and with a vice grip on Shane's free hand. The hand that's holding the phone is clearly shaking. The midwife is crouched in front of Ryan; her bag of supplies is laid open nearby. Ryan is motionless with his chin tucked to his chest. Suddenly he lets out a loud, pained noise and goes boneless. Shane gently pries his hand away from Ryan and stands up. Ryan immediately and loudly protests._

Ryan: Shane -- _Shane, _where the fuck are you going, I'm --

Shane: Hang on, Ry, I'm just -- gimme two seconds, okay, I'll be right back, I promise --

_Shane steps away from Ryan's side and two steps over to a nearby equipment cart. The video jostles again, and when it steadies it's focused on Shane's face. He looks anxious and a little scruffy. He adjusts it a little so it's focused on Ryan -- who's now pushing again -- then darts back to his side. Ryan is groaning loudly into the contraction, and as soon as Shane comes back he grabs for him._

Shane: Alright, I'm here, I'm back.

Midwife, faintly: He's crowning. Won't be much longer.

_The next ten minutes are full of the sound of Ryan's yelling, Shane's encouragements and praise, and the midwife's instructions. Shane's voice gets shakier and more urgent as the minutes go by. He helps Ryan lean forward, and the midwife gently guides Ryan's hands down under his belly. Suddenly Shane lets out an awed "holy shit, Ry"; Ryan sits back, lifting the baby up to his chest._

Ryan: Holy shit -- hi. Hi, little dude --

Shane: Oh my god, Ryan, it's a girl.

Ryan, dazed: What?

Shane: It's a _girl...!_

_Ryan laughs weakly._

Ryan: Christ...guess 'Henry' is out of the question. Sorry, little lady.

_His head falls back against the bed._

Ryan: And all we have is blue onesies...

Shane: Who cares, she'll wear 'em.

_Shane glances back at the camera; for the split second that his face is in focus, he's beaming._

_Shane forgets about the camera from that point on. He and Ryan spend several minutes marvelling over the baby, before the midwife helps deliver the afterbirth, cut the cord, and get Ryan and the baby cleaned up. Almost fifteen minutes pass; Ryan and the baby are obscured by either Shane or the midwife for most of them. Eventually Ryan gets settled in bed and the midwife takes the baby to be weighed and measured, and then Shane remembers. He glances back at Ryan, then hurries over to the camera. As he picks it up, it focuses briefly on his face; he's still smiling, and there are tears in his eyes._

_The video ends._

* * *

_Shane's POV. Still at the birth center; it's mid-morning. Ryan is fast asleep with the baby on his chest. She's starting to fuss. Shane walks to the bed and puts the camera down; a few seconds later he picks it up again, and he's holding the baby in one arm. He walks over to the window with her, and she gradually settles._

Shane, quietly: So, mademoiselle, what do you think of 'Amelia'? Want us to call you that?

_The baby gurgles._

Shane: Yeah, Amelia Anne Bergara. I like it too. Still think it should be Amelia Henry, though...

_Amelia makes a cranky sound, and Shane laughs to himself._

Shane: No? Well, suit yourself...

_He stares out the window for a few minutes, absently rocking on the balls of his feet._

Shane: Still can't believe you're actually here...24 hours ago, your dad and I were walking around in a haunted house. And now here you are.

_He turns the camera on her. She's wearing a robin's-egg blue onesie and a white knit hat, with a couple stray tufts of black hair sticking out from under the brim. Her eyes are just barely open, and already they're the same shape as Ryan's._

Shane: There's so many people who wanna meet you, 'melia. Your grandmas and grandpas and your uncles, and Curly and Andrew and Kelsey and TJ...and your dad and I have been so excited to meet you, too. And you'll get to see what your dad's been working on for the past five years. He's a ghost hunter, we go all over the place looking for ghouls.

_He lowers his voice to a whisper._

Shane: Ghosts aren't actually real, but your dad thinks they are; we just gotta go along with it.

_Shane interrupts himself with an enormous yawn._

Shane: ...Alright kiddo, it's almost 11:00. Your dad and I have been up since god knows when...let's go take a nap.

_The video ends abruptly._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


	13. End credits

Shane closes his laptop. The room is quiet; Ryan is curled up on the couch next to him, Amelia dozing in his arms. There's an odd look on his face.

"I thought you took all those videos just to have them, I didn't know you were..." Ryan gestures at the laptop.

"What did you think, though? I mean, I'm not a film major like you are, all I did was cobble 'em together in Windows movie maker --"

"I love it. It's sweet." Ryan leans over and plants a kiss on Shane's cheek. "Didn't realize I was so fucking huge toward the end, though."

"I thought it was cute."

"You would."

Amelia wakes and stirs a little. Ryan adjusts her in his arms and continues, "And I still look like I'm pregnant, too."

"Ry, it's fine," Shane soothes. "You look fine. And it's only been a week, it's not like you can just go back to normal immediately after you give birth."

Ryan shrugs. "I didn't know you took a video of the birth," he says slowly.

"Yeah, I mean..." Shane looks a little uncomfortable as he folds his long legs up under himself. "It was kind of a split-second thing. Ash said you were crowning and it just kinda hit me, like, this is really happening."

Ryan smirks. "You made the dumbest face, though." Shane looks indignant at that, and Ryan bursts out laughing, which only makes it worse.

Shane sputters, pretending to be deeply offended. "Don't _laugh, _it was a -- I just watched my daughter being born, it was a life-changing moment...!"

"I know, I know, I'm just messing with you."

Shane gently ruffles Amelia's hair; she squirms and cracks one eye open. Ryan eyes the laptop.

"...Can you play it again?"

"What, the birth?"

"No, the whole video. From the beginning."

Shane grins and opens his laptop.

☆☆☆

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!

**Author's Note:**

> If you like the story, please leave a comment -- I'd love to hear from you!


End file.
